Red & Gray
by Aichihuahua
Summary: A collection of drabbles and short oneshots about Ruby and Victor.
1. Red

**AN:** I've always loved Dr. Whale and Ruby and kinda sorted liked them together, but that latest episode sold me completely! Their amazing parallels plus the whole horror element is the best thing ever. If ONCE screws this up too someone's going to get hurt.  
So I'm starting off my newest obsession with a Whale Meta to try and understand him.  
unbeta'd

**Disc:** OUAT belongs to ABC. The story belongs to me.

* * *

He hated the color red.

It was the first he had ever seen. So loud and glaring compared to the familiar gray. It was haughty, demanding attention. It hurt his eyes to look upon it. A regal air but tarnished by a deeper malice. All encompassed by the one who first introduced the color to him.

Red was destroyed hope. Once pulsing with heat and eternal life, with family and long sought after acceptance and pride. But you couldn't trust it. He was so sure that it would stay strong and bright, but it burnt away into the same dull ash that reminded him of his failure.

He hated red.

Until he didn't, at least not so much.

Red was still too intense for his eyes, it still stuck out compared to the rest of the hues. There was still hope in it. But it was different. This red was just the right warmth, without the stinging intensity of destroyed expectations and loss. This hope was pink. Hope of understanding and connection. The heat of the red was comforting, it spread a warmth that he had not felt for years.

He liked red now. He hoped that she would help add more colors to his gray.


	2. Greatest Creation

**"Frankenwolf family life, fluffy and sweet" **prompted by** foogaletheonce-ingwhovian** from Tumblr

**AN:** Baby stories are kind of my least favorite cliche, but I did like writing this. It was better than my art history class.

unbeta'd  
**Disc:** OUAT belongs to ABC. The story belongs to me.

* * *

After a long day at the hospital, there was nothing better than finally unlocking the door to home and taking off his white coat. Gone was the Doctor Whale. Now there was only Victor. He walked into the living room and smiled at what he saw. There was Ruby and their daughter bundled together in the magical red hood, the book of fairytales laying forgotten next to them.

When Ruby and Victor first became a couple, they had no plans for the future, only wanting to be misfits together, content in their happiness together. Only once they couldn't bear the Charmings' constant harassment any longer, they got married.

And a kid was certainly never in the plans. Ruby wasn't particularly keen on passing on the wolf gene, especially since Granny kept it a secret from her, leaving her ignorant on how she'd help a child come to terms with the wolf. And while Ruby had Granny as a parental role model, Victor had a father who hated him. He had no idea how to be a real father. One of his greatest fears was that his psyche was now ingrained with the trait to hate his children. Not to mention that everything he had given life to in the past was defective. The idea that his inability to create life in his work was somehow a biological curse was something that barred him from ever thinking about a family of his own. Even more so once Ruby saved him; he couldn't do that to her.

But then the greatest terror they ever felt came to them at the sight of a positive pregnancy test. The child of a werewolf and Frankenstein, he or she was destined to be the greatest horror of them all.

Their daughter was born and both of their fears instantly vanished. Elizabeth was perfect; not a tail in sight and her heart was as strong as could be. Ruby would wrap her in her hood constantly, just like how Granny would swaddle her, already planning on how she'd break the news to her when she was old enough. And Victor no longer worried about turning into his father. As soon as he saw her he fell in love, and falls more in love with her every time she smiled as him.

Victor picked up the book and set it on the coffee table. He relaxed into the couch next to Elizabeth with a tired but satisfied sigh as he rested his arm behind his daughter and Ruby. At his presence beside her, Elizabeth turned and snuggled into his side.

There was no place Victor would rather be than with his invaluable partner and greatest creation.


	3. He Wouldn't Be Alive Without You

**AN:** Inspired by this tumblr post (reallydearie tumblr com/post/41143205256)  
unbeta'd  
**Disc:** OUAT belongs to ABC. The story belongs to me.

* * *

"He's going to make it?"

"He's got some recuperating ahead of him, but yes... He's going to live."

"Thank goodness."

"Or me."

Out of the corner of her eye Ruby saw Snow roll her eyes towards the sky in reflex at the doctor's apparent egotistical comment, but she could tell that the prince's "thank goodness" had struck a nerve. She inwardly cringed. It was obvious that there were remnants of David in him, never saying or doing the right thing when the situation called for it, and this was certainly one of those times. They were all so adamant that Whale save the man, yet once he accomplished it, they withhold the praise he deserved. He saved a man from death and in return received only a pat on the shoulder.

The group had begun making their way out of the hospital, Emma leading the way, Snow stomping next to her glad it was over, and James and Leroy trailing after the two when Ruby stopped.

The memory of Whale, or Victor, opening up to her earlier in the night struck her. How his scientific efforts were ignored in the past and how he was now forever linked with the skewed version of his failure. She sighed and strode back into the hospital. After his "monster to monster" comment, there was now some sort of connection between the two of them that she couldn't ignore. A connection that wouldn't let her leave without saying something to him.

Whale was at the desk filling out paperwork as she made her way up to him. She watched him do a double take when he saw her striding towards him alone.

"Did someone else get in an accident?" He asked in a dry tone as he set aside the forms. "The only times any of the cool kids talk to me are when you need me for something."

Ruby rolled her eyes in exasperation and began to turn back around. You could put the the old personality back, but you couldn't take the new one away. If he was going to talk to her as if nothing had happened then she wasn't going to bother.

"Ruby! Wait. Sorry. Just because alcohol doesn't affect my hands it doesn't mean it leaves my mouth alone." Whale pursed his lips in apology and slightly ducked his head seeming uncomfortable. It was a busy night full of almost deaths and personal talks. The weight of all that had happened (and almost happened) finally started to settle in.

Ruby pulled a small comforting smile, "I just wanted to tell you, from all of us, that you did a great job."

His guarded face softened slightly as the side of his mouth barely twitched from a smile, It was nice to see him smile, apart from the self-deprecating one he flashed her on the docks.

"He wouldn't be alive without you. And.. Well... That's all I wanted to say." It was still awkward to converse with him, and Ruby couldn't think of anything else to say, but it felt right.

They looked at each other, both thinking about the deeper meaning behind her words.

"Thank you." He genuinely replied, voice slightly thick with gratitude. It was similar to how he thanked her before after he relayed the news of the surgery.

Ruby gave him one last glowing grin then spun on her heel to follow the others out of the hospital, a warmth blooming in her chest. She saved a man's life. Not only that, but she helped push him on the path to finding his self-worth and confidence, something she herself only recently regained along with her old memories. Ruby was glad she could could help someone else do the same. The town already saw them as something horrific, he shouldn't feel that way as well. Not when he had the potential to be the great man he dreamt of becoming.


End file.
